Can I use CopyCat to copy the CA Vtape VTS Backstore Tapes to different media?

Products

• CA 1 Flexible Storage
• CA 1 Tape Management - Copycat Utility
• Vtape Virtual Tape System

Issue/Introduction

 

We are migrating from lower density tapes and drives from Vendor A to higher density tapes and drives from Vendor B. Can I use  CopyCat to migrate the  Vtape VTS Backstore Tapes?

 

Resolution

 

Yes, CopyCat FILECOPY can be used to migrate the Backstore Tapes. You can actually use any tape copy utility as long as it recatalogs the files stacked on the input tapes to the output tapes.

Vtape VTS control data sets do not contain any location information on its stacked Virtual Volumes. To find a stacked Virtual Volume,  Vtape VTS does a catalog locate for prefix .VVE.Vvolser.* where prefix is the Vtape VTS DSN prefix and volser is the Virtual VOLSER. As long as the copy utility correctly recatalogs the stacked Virtual Volumes,  Vtape VTS will be able to find them.

Prior to starting the migration:

1. Issue the SVTS SET BACK=-H,G=* console command to hold the Backstore Queues.
2. Update the Group Definitions in the VTGROUP PARMLIB member to use the esoteric or generic for the new tape drives.
3. Issue the SVTS REFRESH=GROUPS console command on each system to load the change.
4. Issue the SVTS SET BACK=EXCLVOL,G=*,T=B console command on each system to reset the table of partially full Backstore Tape VOLSERs saved for additional stacking.
5. If the Backstore Queues should be released, issue the SVTS SET BACK=R,G=* console command.
6. If Backstore Automation should be turned on, issue the SVTS SET BACK=T,G=* console command.